teaspoonfuls of baking powder, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup sweet milk.
Crumb together with the hands the sugar, butter, flour and baking
powder sifted together. Take out 1/2 cup of these crumbs to be
scattered over top of cake. To the remainder add the yolks of the
eggs, well beaten, and the sweet milk, and lastly the stiffly beaten
whites of eggs. Put the mixture in a well-greased pan (a deep custard
pie tin will answer), scatter the half cup of crumbs reserved over top
of cake and bake about 3/4 of an hour in a rather quick oven. When
cake is baked, sprinkle over 1 teaspoonful of melted butter and dust
top with cinnamon.
AUNT SARAH'S "QUICK DUTCH CAKES"
She creamed together 1 cup of sugar, 1 tablespoonful of lard, 1
tablespoonful of butter and added 1-1/2 cups of luke-warm milk. Add 3
cups flour (good measure), sifted with three scant teaspoonfuls of
baking powder. Add a half cup of raisins, seeded and cut in several
pieces, if liked, but the cakes are very good without. Spread in two
pans and sprinkle sugar and cinnamon on top and press about five small
dabs of butter on top of each cake. Put in oven and bake at once.
These are a very good substitute for "raised Dutch cakes," and are
much more quickly and easily-made and, as no eggs are used, are quite
cheap and very good.
A RELIABLE LAYER CAKE
1-1/4 cups granulated sugar.
3 eggs.
1/2 cup butter and lard mixed. (Use all butter if preferred.)
1/2 cup sweet milk.
2 cups flour sifted with 2 teaspoonfuls Royal baking powder.
Cream together sugar and shortening. Add yolks of eggs, beating well,
as each ingredient is added. Then add milk and flour alternately, and
lastly the stiffly beaten white of eggs. Stir all together. Bake in
two square layer pans, and put together with chocolate or white icing.
Or ice the cakes when cold and cut in squares.
BOILED ICING
Boil together 1 cup of granulated sugar and 5 tablespoonfuls boiling
water ten or twelve minutes, or until a small quantity dropped from
spoon spins a thread. Stir this into the stiffly-beaten white of one
egg until thick and creamy. Flavor with lemon, almond or vanilla
flavoring and spread on cake. Dip knife in hot water occasionally when
spreading icing on cake.
A delicious icing is composed of almonds blanched and pounded to a
paste. Add a few drops of essence of bitter almonds. Dust the top of
the cake lightly with flour, spread on the almond paste and when
nearly dry cover with ordinary icing. Dry almonds before pounding them
in mortar, and use a small quantity of rose water. A few drops only
should be used of essence of bitter almonds to flavor icing or cake. A
pinch of baking powder added to sugar when making boiled icing causes
the icing to become more creamy, or add a pinch of cream of tartar
when making boiled icing. Or, when a cake iced with "boiled icing" has
become cold, spread on top of icing unsweetened, melted chocolate.
This is a delicious "cream chocolate icing."
A DELICIOUS "SPICE LAYER CAKE"
2 cups light brown sugar.
1 cup chopped raisins.
2 eggs.
1 cup sour milk.
1/2 cup butter.
2 cups flour.
1 teaspoonful each of soda, cloves, cinnamon, allspice and
a little grated nutmeg.
Cream sugar and butter together, add yolks of eggs, then the sour
milk in which the soda has been dissolved, flour and spices, and
lastly stir in the stiffly beaten white of eggs. Bake in two-layer
pans.
ICING
Two cups sugar, 3/4 cup of milk or cream, 2 tablespoonfuls of butter.
Boil until it forms a soft ball when a small quantity is dropped in
water, and flavor with vanilla. Beat until cold and spread between
layers of cake. Also on top and sides.
AN INEXPENSIVE COCOA CAKE
This is a decidedly good cake and no eggs are required. Cream together
1 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup butter. Add 1 cup of sour milk, 1-3/4 cups
flour, then sift over 1-1/2 tablespoonfuls of cocoa. Add 1 level
teaspoonful saleratus, dissolved in a little of the sour milk, and 1
teaspoonful vanilla. Bake in a small loaf. Use the following icing:
1/4 cup of grated chocolate, 3/4 cup milk, 1/2 cup sugar, boiled
together until thick, and spread on cake.
AUNT SARAH'S WALNUT GINGERBREAD
1/2 cup of New Orleans molasses.
1 cup of light brown sugar.
1/2 cup of shortening (composed of butter, lard and sweet
drippings).
1/2 teaspoonful of ginger, cinnamon and cloves each.
2 teaspoonfuls of baking soda (saleratus), sifted with 3-1/2
cups flour.
1 cup boiling water.
2 eggs.
Beat to a cream the sugar and shortening in a bowl; add molasses, then
pour over all one cup of boiling water. Beat well. Add flour, soda and
spices, all sifted together. Beat into this the two unbeaten eggs (one
at a time), then add about 3/4 of a cup of coarsely chopped _black
walnut_ meats or the same quantity of well-floured raisins may be
substituted for the walnut meats.
The cakes may be baked in muffin pans. In that case fill pans about
two-thirds full. The above quantity makes eighteen. They can also be
baked in a pan as a loaf cake. This cake is excellent, and will keep
fresh several days. These cakes taste similar to those sold in an
Atlantic City bake-shop which have gained a reputation for their
excellence.
AUNT SARAH'S "GERMAN CRUMB CAKES" BAKED IN CRUSTS
3 cups flour.
2-1/2 heaping teaspoonfuls baking powder.
2 cups sugar (soft A or light brown).
1/2 cup lard and butter mixed.
2 eggs.
1 cup sweet milk.
Pinch of salt.
Flavoring--vanilla or grated orange rind.
Line three small pie tins with pie crust. Sift together into a bowl
the flour and baking powder and add light brown or A sugar, and the
butter, lard and salt. Rub this all together with the hands until well
mixed and crumbly. Take out 1 cupful of these crumbs and stand aside.
Add to the rest of the mixture the yolks of eggs, whites being beaten
separately and added last. Add slowly 1 cup of sweet milk. Mix it in
gradually until the mixture is creamed, then add a small quantity of
grated orange peel, lemon or vanilla flavoring. Lastly, stir in the
stiffly beaten whites of eggs. Pour the mixture into each one of the
three unbaked crusts, then sprinkle the cup of crumbs thickly over the
tops. Bake in a moderate oven. These are very good, cheap cakes for
breakfast or lunch.
"SOUR CREAM" MOLASSES CAKE
1/2 cup molasses.
1 cup sugar.
1/2 cup thick sour cream.
1/2 cup sour milk.
1/2 cup finely chopped peanuts.
1 egg.
1 teaspoonful soda dissolved in little hot water.
2-3/4 cups flour.
1 cup seeded raisins.
Mix together like ordinary cake. Bake in a fruit cake pan in a slow
oven about forty minutes. This excellent cake requires no shortening,
as cream is used.
ECONOMY CAKE
1 egg.
1 cup sweet milk.
1 cup granulated sugar.
2 cups flour.
1/4 cup butter.
2 teaspoonfuls baking powder.
Cream together sugar and yolk of egg, then beat into this mixture the
butter and add the milk. Then stir the flour, a small quantity at a
time, into the mixture, keeping it smooth and free from lumps. Add the
stiffly beaten white of egg. Use any flavoring or spice preferred.
Bake in a quick oven.
This is not simply a very cheap cake, but a decidedly good one, and
made from inexpensive materials. Follow the recipe exactly or the cake
may be too light and too crumbly if too much baking powder is used, or
heavy if too much butter is used. By varying the flavor and baking in
different forms it is as good as a number of more expensive recipes.
It makes three layers of any kind of layer cake, or bake in Gem pans.
GINGER CAKE
1/2 cup brown sugar.
1 egg.
1/2 cup lard.
2 large cups flour.
1/2 cup New Orleans molasses.
1 tablespoonful of ginger.
1 teaspoonful soda dissolved in half cup lukewarm water.
Beat sugar and lard to a cream, then beat in the yolk of egg, molasses
and flour and soda dissolved in water. Lastly, add the stiffly-beaten
white of egg. Bake 45 minutes in hot oven.
A VERY ECONOMICAL GERMAN CLOVE CAKE
Place in a stew-pan the following ingredients:
1 cup brown sugar.
1 cup cold water.
2 cups seeded raisins.
1/3 cup sweet lard, or a mixture of lard and butter.
1/4 grated nutmeg.
2 teaspoonfuls cinnamon.
1/2 teaspoonful ground cloves.
Pinch of salt.
Boil all together three minutes. When cold add I teaspoonful of soda
dissolved in a little hot water. Add about 1-3/4 cups flour sifted
with 1/2 teaspoonful of baking powder. Bake in a loaf in a moderately
hot oven about thirty minutes. This cake is both good and economical,
as no butter, eggs or milk are used in its composition. The recipe for
making this excellent, cheap cake was bought by Aunt Sarah at a "Cake
and Pie" sale. She was given permission to pass it on.
ICING.
1 small cup pulverized sugar.
2 tablespoonfuls of cocoa.
Mix smooth with a very little boiling water. Spread over cake.
CAKE ICING FOR VARIOUS CAKES
Cook together 2 cups of granulated sugar, 1-1/4 cups of water a little
less than 12 minutes. Just before it reaches the soft ball stage, beat
in quickly 25 marshmallows; when dissolved and a thick, creamy mass,
spread between layers and on top of cake.
This is a delicious creamy icing when made according to directions. If
sugar and water be cooked one minute too long, the icing becomes
sugary instead of creamy. One-half the above quantity will ice the top
of a cake nicely.
MARY'S RECIPE FOR "HOT MILK" SPONGE CAKE
For this cake was used:
2 cups granulated sugar.
4 eggs.
2-1/8 cups flour.
1-1/2 teaspoonfuls of baking powder.
1 cup boiling hot milk.
Separate the eggs, place yolks in a bowl, add the sugar and beat until
creamy.
Add the stiffly beaten whites of eggs alternately with the sifted
flour and baking powder; lastly add the cup of boiling hot milk;
should the milk not be rich, add one teaspoon of butter to the hot
milk. The cake batter should be thin as griddle cake batter, pour into
a tube pan and place at once in a _very moderate_ oven; in about 15
minutes increase the heat and in about 25 minutes more the cake, risen
to the top of pan, should have commenced to brown on top.
Bake from 15 to 20 minutes more in a moderately hot oven with steady
heat; when baked the top of the cake should be a light fawn color and
texture of cake light and fine grained.
Mary was told by her Aunt that any sponge cake was improved by the
addition of a teaspoon of butter, causing the sponge cake to resemble
pound cake in texture.
CHEAP "MOLASSES GINGER BREAD"
1 cup New Orleans molasses.
1 cup sugar.
1/2 cup shortening (lard and butter mixed).
1 cup hot water.
1 large teaspoonful soda dissolved in the one cup of hot water.
1 teaspoonful of ginger.
1/2 teaspoonful of cinnamon.
1 quart of flour.
Stir sugar and shortening together. Add molasses, beat all thoroughly,
then add hot water and flour. Stir hard. Bake in two layer pans in
quick oven about 30 minutes. Use cake while fresh.
AUNT SARAH'S EXTRA FINE LARGE SPONGE CAKE
2 cups granulated sugar.
2-1/4 cups of flour.
3/4 cup of boiling water.
4 large eggs.
2 even teaspoonfuls baking powder.
1 teaspoonful lemon juice.
Put whites of eggs in a large mixing bowl and beat very stiff. Add
sugar (sifted 3 times), then add the well-beaten yolks, flour (sifted
3 times with baking powder), add lemon juice. Lastly, add the hot
water. Bake about 50 minutes in a tube pan in a moderately hot oven
with a steady heat. Stand a pan of hot water in the upper rack of oven
if the oven is quite hot. It improves the cake and causes it to be
more moist. This is an excellent sponge cake and easily made, although
the ingredients are put together the opposite way cakes are usually
mixed, with the exception of angel cake. When this cake was taken from
oven, powdered sugar was sifted thickly over the top. Use cup holding
1/2 pint, as in all other cake recipes.
ANGEL CAKE--AUNT SARAH'S RECIPE
Mary was taught by her Aunt, when preparing a dish calling for yolks
of eggs only, to place the white of eggs not used in a glass jar which
she stood in a cold place or on ice. When she had saved one even
cupful she baked an angel cake over the following recipe:
One heaping cup of pulverized sugar (all the cup will hold), was
sifted 8 times. One cup of a mixture of pastry flour and corn starch
(equal parts) was also sifted 8 times. The whole was then sifted
together 4 times. The one cupful of white of eggs was beaten very
stiff. When about half beaten, sprinkle over the partly-beaten eggs
one scant teaspoonful of cream of tartar, then finish beating the
whites of eggs. Flavor with almond or vanilla. Then carefully sift
into the stiffly beaten whites of eggs sugar, flour and corn starch.
Fold into the whites of eggs rather than stir. Aunt Sarah always baked
this cake in a small, oblong bread pan. This cake should be baked in a
_very_ moderate oven, one in which the hand might be held without
inconvenience while counting one hundred; the oven should be just hot
enough for one to know there was fire in the range. Do not open the
oven door for 15 minutes, then increase the heat a little; if not too
hot, open the oven door a moment to cool and bake slowly for about 55
minutes.
AUNT SARAH'S GOOD AND CHEAP "COUNTRY FRUIT CAKE"
1 cup butter and lard, mixed.
4 eggs.
1 cup New Orleans molasses.
1 cup sour milk.
1 pound dried currants.
1/4 pound thinly sliced citron.
2 teaspoonfuls baking soda.
4 cups flour.
2 pounds raisins, seeded.
A little grated nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon and a very small quantity of
cloves.
Bake in one large fruit cake pan or in two good sized pans about 1-3/4
hours. This cake should not be kept as long a time as a more expensive
fruit cake, but may be kept several weeks. This was Aunt Sarah's best
recipe for an excellent, inexpensive fruit cake.
A "SPONGE CUSTARD" CAKE
4 eggs.
2 cups granulated sugar.
3 cups flour.
1 teaspoonful baking soda.
1 cup cold water.
Juice of 1 lemon.
2 teaspoonfuls of cream of tartar and pinch of salt.
Beat eggs well, then sift in sugar and half of flour in which cream of
tartar has been mixed. Dissolve the soda in a little water and add
also the lemon juice and lastly add the balance of flour. Bake in
layer cake pans two inches deep.
CUSTARD
Boil 1 pint of sweet milk and add to it, stirring constantly, the
following mixture: Two tablespoonfuls corn starch, mixed with a little
water before boiling, 1 cup of sugar and 1 well-beaten egg. Allow all
to cook a few minutes in a double boiler about 15 minutes. Split the
sponge cakes when baked and put custard between when cooled.
GRANDMOTHER'S EXCELLENT "OLD RECIPE" FOR MARBLE CAKE
LIGHT PART.
1-3/4 cups granulated sugar.
1 scant cup butter or a mixture of butter and lard.
Whites of 6 eggs.
1 cup milk.
3 scant cups flour sifted with 2 teaspoons of baking powder.
Flavor with essence of lemon.
DARK PART.
Yolks of 4 eggs.
1/2 cup of a mixture of butter and lard.
3/4 cup milk (scant measure).
1/2 cup brown sugar.
1 tablespoon of molasses.
2 tablespoons of cinnamon.
1 tablespoon of cloves.
One cup or a little more flour sifted with one teaspoon of baking
powder. Place spoonfuls of the dark and light batter alternately in a
cake pan until all has been used.
Bake in a moderately hot oven from 45 to 50 minutes.
From this recipe may be made two good sized cakes.
I should advise using one-half the quantity for both dark and light
part of cake called for in recipe, which would make one good sized
cake. Should this whole recipe be used, the cake baked from it would
be of the size of a very large fruit cake.
MARY'S MOLASSES CAKES
She creamed together 1 cup of light brown sugar and 2 tablespoonfuls
of butter. Then added 1 cup of New Orleans molasses. The molasses had
been allowed to come to a boil, then cooled.
She sifted into the mixture 4 cups of flour alternately with 1 cup of
sweet milk in which 2 even teaspoonfuls of soda had been dissolved.
She beat all well together, then added yolk of one large egg, and
lastly the stiffly beaten white of the egg. Beat the mixture again and
bake in 2 square layer cake pans in a hot oven about 25 minutes. This
is an excellent cake if directions are closely followed.
CHOCOLATE ICING FOR MOLASSES CAKE.
Boil 1 scant half cup water with 1 cup sugar until it spins a thread,
or forms a soft, firm ball in cold water. Pour slowly over the stiffly
beaten white of egg, beating while it is being poured. Melt 2 squares
or 2 ounces of unsweetened chocolate by standing the bowl containing
it in hot water. Add 1 teaspoonful hot water to chocolate. Stir the
egg and sugar mixture slowly into the melted chocolate. Beat until
stiff enough to spread on cake.
HICKORY NUT CAKE
1-1/2 cups sugar.
1/2 cup butter.
3/4 cup milk.
Whites of 4 eggs.
1 cup hickory nut meats, chopped.
2 cups flour sifted with 2 teaspoonfuls baking powder.
Mix together as ordinary cake. Bake in a loaf.
"LIGHT BROWN" SUGAR CAKE
Three cupfuls of light brown sugar, 1/2 cup of sweet lard and yolk of
one egg creamed together until light. Then add 1-1/2 cups sour milk
alternately with 4 cups of flour and 1-1/2 teaspoonfuls of cinnamon;
1-1/2 teaspoonfuls of ginger, 1/2 teaspoonful of cloves and half of a
grated nutmeg, 1 tablespoonful of thinly shaved or grated citron is an
improvement to cake, but may be omitted. Beat all together, then add 1
teaspoonful of soda dissolved in a small quantity of the sour milk.
Lastly, add the stiffly beaten white of one egg and one cup seeded
raisins dredged with a little flour. Put the cake batter in a large,
well-greased fruit cake pan, lined with paper which had been greased
and a trifle of flour sifted over, and bake in an oven with a steady
heat about one hour and fifteen minutes. This is a very good,
_inexpensive_ cake and will keep moist some time if kept in a tin cake
box. The fruit might be omitted, but it improves the cake.
"ANGEL FOOD" LAYER CAKE
1 cup and 2 tablespoonfuls granulated sugar.
1-1\2 cups flour.
1 cup and 2 tablespoonfuls scalded milk.
3 teaspoonfuls baking powder.
Pinch of salt.
Whites of 2 eggs.
Place milk in top part of double boiler and heat to boiling point.
Sift dry ingredients together four times and then pour in the hot milk
and stir well together. Lastly, add the stiffly beaten whites of eggs.
Fold them in lightly, but do not beat. The batter will be quite thin.
Do not grease the tins. No flavoring is used. Bake in two square layer
tins, put together with any icing preferred. Bake in a moderate oven.
This is a good, economical cake to bake when yolks of eggs have been
used for other purposes.
MARY'S CHOCOLATE CAKE
One-half cup of brown sugar, 1/2 cup of sweet milk and 1/2 cup of
grated, unsweetened chocolate. Boil all together until thick as cream;
allow it to cool.
Mix 1/2 cup of butter with 1/2 cup of brown sugar. Add two beaten
eggs, 2/3 of a cup of sweet milk and vanilla flavoring to taste. Beat
this into the boiled mixture and add 2 cups of flour sifted with 2
teaspoonfuls of baking powder. Bake in three layers and put together
with chocolate icing, or cocoa filling.
COCOA FILLING.
1-1/2 cups pulverized sugar.
1 tablespoonful butter, melted.
2-1/2 tablespoonfuls cocoa.
Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix to a smooth paste with
cold coffee. Flavor with vanilla and spread on cake. This cocoa
filling should not be boiled.
A CHEAP ORANGE CAKE
2 eggs.
1-1/2 cupfuls sugar.
1 large tablespoonful butter.
1 cup milk.
2 cups flour sifted with 2 teaspoonfuls baking powder.
Juice and grated yellow rind of half an orange.
Bake in moderate oven in loaf or layers. If a loaf cake, ice top and
sides with the following icing:
1-1/2 cupfuls pulverized sugar, 1 tablespoonful warm water and grated
rind and juice of half an orange. Mix all together to a cream and
spread over cake.
FRAU SCHMIDT'S MOLASSES CAKE
1 pint of New Orleans molasses.
3/4 cup butter and lard, mixed.
4 eggs.
1 cup sour milk
2 good teaspoonfuls soda.
4 cups flour.
Grated rind of 1 orange.
Bake in a long dripping pan, cut out in square pieces, or it may be
baked in a large pan used for fruit cake. It will fill two medium
sized cake pans.
APPLE SAUCE CAKE
1/4 cup butter (generous measure).
1 cup light brown sugar.
1 cup apple sauce (not sweetened).
1 level teaspoonful soda.
2 cups flour.
1 teaspoonful cinnamon.
1/2 teaspoonful cloves.
1 small nutmeg, grated.
Pinch of salt.
1 cup raisins.
Cream together butter, sugar and spices. Add apple sauce and flour.
(Dissolve the soda in apple sauce.) Add a cup of seeded raisins or
raisins and currants, if preferred. This recipe may be doubled when it
makes a very good, cheap fruit cake, as no eggs are required, and it
both looks and tastes like a dark fruit cake.
ICING.
One cup pulverized sugar, piece of butter size of a walnut. Moisten
with a little water and spread on cake.
"SCHWARZ" CAKE
This delicious black chocolate or "Schwarz" cake, as Aunt Sarah called
it, was made from the following recipe:
1-1/2 cups of sugar.
1/2 cup butter.
1/2 cup sweet milk.
1 even teaspoon of soda (saleratus).
3 eggs.
1 teaspoonful of vanilla.
2 cups flour.
1-1/2 teaspoon of Royal baking powder.
Before mixing all the above ingredients place in a stewpan on the
range 1/2 cup of grated chocolate and 1/2 cup sweet milk; allow them
to come to a boil, then stand this mixture aside to cool and add to
the cake mixture later.
Cream together sugar and butter, add yolk of eggs; soda dissolved in
the milk, then add flour and baking powder sifted together alternately
with the stiffly beaten white of eggs. Then beat in last the
chocolate and milk mixture which has cooled. Bake in layer cake pans.
Use the following chocolate filling:
1/2 cup sugar.
1/2 cup milk.
Yolk of one egg.
1/2 teaspoon of corn starch (good measure).
1/4 cake of Baker's unsweetened chocolate.
Boil all together until quite thick and spread between layers of cake.
APPLE CREAM CAKE
2 cups Sugar.
2 tablespoonfuls butter.
1 cup sweet milk.
3 cups flour.
3 eggs.
2 teaspoonfuls Royal baking powder.
Add the stiffly beaten whites of eggs last and bake in two layers.
Flavor with lemon or vanilla.
APPLE CREAM FILLING FOR CAKE.
Beat white of 1 egg very stiff. Add 1 cup of granulated sugar and beat
well. Quickly grate one raw apple into the egg and sugar, add the
juice of 1/4 lemon and beat 20 minutes, when it will be light and
foamy. This icing is soft and creamy. Coarsely chopped nut meats may
be added if liked. Cake must be eaten with a fork, but is delicious.
A "HALF POUND" CAKE
Cream together 1/2 pound of sugar and 1/2 pound of butter. Beat into
this the eggs separately, until five eggs have been used. Add flour
and 1 small teaspoonful of baking powder. Bake in a moderate oven
about 55 minutes; 1/2 pound of flour is used in this cake. This cake
is extra fine.
A DELICIOUS ICING (NOT CHEAP).
Stir to a cream a half cup butter, 1-1/2 cups pulverized sugar, 1
tablespoonful milk and 1 teaspoonful vanilla. It is then ready to use
for icing a cake.
COCOANUT LAYER CAKE
2 cups sugar.
1/2 cup butter and lard, mixed.
3 eggs (yolks only).
1 cup milk.
3 cups flour, sifted several times with the
2 teaspoonfuls cream of tartar and 1 teaspoonful soda (saleratus).
Mix like an ordinary cake.
THE FILLING.
To the stiffly beaten whites of 3 eggs add 1 cup of pulverized sugar.
Spread this on each one of the layers of the cake and on top. Strew a
half of a grated cocoanut over. To the other half of grated cocoanut
add 4 tablespoonfuls of pulverized sugar and strew over top of the
cake.
GOLD LAYER CAKE
Yolks of 6 eggs.
1/2 cup butter.
1 large cup granulated sugar.
1/2 cup sweet milk.
2-1/2 cups flour.
2 heaping teaspoonfuls baking powder.
Cream sugar and butter, add yolks. Beat well, then add milk and flour.
Stir all together and bake in square pans in a hot oven.
SUNSHINE SPONGE CAKE
1 cup granulated sugar.
Whites of 7 small fresh eggs and 5 yolks.
2/3 cup of flour, or scant cup of flour.
1/3 teaspoonful cream of tartar and a pinch of salt.
Beat the yolks of eggs thoroughly, then beat the whites about half;
add cream of tartar and beat until very stiff. Stir in sugar sifted
lightly through your flour sifter. Then add beaten yolks, stir
thoroughly, sift the flour five times. The last time sift into the
batter, stirring only enough to incorporate the flour. Bake in a tube
pan from 40 to 50 minutes in a very moderate oven. This is a
particularly fine cake, but a little difficult to get just right.
Place cake in a cool oven; when cake has risen turn on heat. This cake
should be baked same as an angel cake.
AN INEXPENSIVE DARK "CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE"
1 cup sugar.
1/2 cup butter.
2 eggs.
1/2 cup sweet milk.
2 cups flour sifted with
2 teaspoonfuls baking powder.
1/2 cup chocolate.
Grate the chocolate, mix with 1/4 cup of milk and yolk of 1 egg,
sweeten to taste; cook the chocolate; when cooled add to the above
mixture. Bake in three layer tins. Put white boiled icing between the
layers. The boiled icing recipe will be found on another page.
ANGEL CAKE
11 eggs (whites only).
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar (sifted 3 times).
1 cup flour (sifted 5 times).
1 teaspoonful cream of tartar.
1 teaspoonful vanilla.
Place white of eggs in a large bowl and beat about half as stiff as
you wish them to be when finished beating. Add cream of tartar,
sprinkle it over the beaten whites of eggs lightly, and then beat
until very stiff. Sift in sugar, then flour very lightly. Fold into
the batter, rather than stir, with quick, even strokes with spoon. Put
quickly in tube pan, bake in moderate oven from 35 to 50 minutes. Do
not open oven door for first 15 minutes after cake has been placed in
oven.
If cake browns before it rises to top of pan open oven door two
minutes; when cake has risen to top of pan finish baking quickly. The
moment cake shrinks back to level of pan remove from oven. This is an
old, reliable recipe given Mary by her Aunt, who had baked cake from
it for years.
MARY'S CHOCOLATE LOAF (MADE WITH SOUR MILK)
2 cups brown sugar.
3/4 cup lard and butter, mixed.
2 eggs.
1/2 cup Baker's chocolate, melted.
1/2 cup sour milk.
1/2 cup warm water.
1 teaspoonful vanilla.
Pinch of salt.
1 teaspoonful saleratus.
3 cups flour.
Dissolve the saleratus in a little vinegar or warm water. Mix as an
ordinary loaf cake.
INEXPENSIVE SUNSHINE CAKE
5 eggs.
1 cup granulated sugar.
1 cup sifted flour.
Beat whites of eggs very stiff and stir in thoroughly, then fold the
flour, stirring only just enough to mix it in. If stirred too much,
the cake will be tough. Bake in a tube pan. This is a delicious cake
if carefully made according to directions. No butter or baking powder
is used. Bake in a very moderate oven at first, gradually adding more
heat until cake is baked.
MARY'S RECIPE FOR ORANGE CAKE
Grate outside rind of 1 orange into a bowl; 1-1/2 cups sugar and 1/2
cup butter and lard, mixed. Cream all together. Add yolks of three
eggs, 1 cup of sweet milk, 2-1/2 cups flour, sifted with 2-1/4
teaspoonfuls of baking powder. Lastly, add the stiffly beaten whites
of the eggs. Bake in two layers.
FILLING FOR ORANGE CAKE.
Grated rind and juice of half an orange, half the white of one egg,
beaten stiff. Add pulverized sugar until stiff enough to spread
between cakes and on top. (About two cups of sugar were used.)
ROLL JELLY CAKE
1 cup granulated sugar.
1-1/4 cups flour.
4 egg yolks.
Pinch of salt.
1/2 cup boiling water.
1 large teaspoonful baking powder.
The yolks of eggs left from making "Pennsylvania Dutch Kisses" may be
used for this cake by the addition of an extra yolk of egg. Beat the
yolks quite light, then add the sugar and beat until light and frothy.
Add the flour sifted with the baking powder and salt. Lastly, add the
half cup of boiling water. Bake in a rather quick oven from 25 to 30
minutes in two square layer cake pans. Cover cakes first ten minutes
until they have risen. When baked turn cakes out of pans on to a
cloth. Take one at a time from the oven, spread as quickly as possible
with a tart jelly, either currant or grape, and roll as quickly as
possible, as when the cakes become cool they cannot be rolled without
breaking. Roll up in a cloth and when cool and ready to serve slice
from end of roll. These cakes are very nice when one is successful,
but a little difficult to get just right.
AUNT SARAH'S CINNAMON CAKE
1 cup sugar.
2 cups flour.
1 egg.
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Piece of butter the size of egg.
Pinch of salt.
1 cup milk.
A little grated nutmeg.
Beat the butter to a cream and gradually add the sugar. Then add the
unbeaten egg and beat all together thoroughly. Add milk and flour and
beat hard for five minutes. Add baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Pour
into two small greased pie-tins and before putting in oven sprinkle
sugar and cinnamon over top. This is an excellent breakfast cake,
easily and quickly made.
"GELB KUCHEN"
Mary's Aunt taught her to make this exceptionally fine cake, yellow as
gold, in texture resembling an "angel cake," from the following
ingredients: The whites of 6 eggs, yolks of 3 eggs, 3/4 cup of fine,
granulated sugar, 1/2 cup of high-grade flour, 1/2 teaspoonful of
cream of tartar (good measure), a few drops of almond extract or 1/2
teaspoonful of vanilla.
Mix ingredients together in the following manner: Sift sugar and flour
separately 3 times. Beat yolks of eggs until light, add sugar to yolks
of eggs and beat to a cream. The whites of eggs were placed in a
separate bowl and when partly beaten the cream of tartar was sifted
over and the whites of eggs were then beaten until dry and frothy. The
stiffly beaten whites of eggs were then added alternately with the
flour to the yolks and sugar. Carefully fold in, do not beat. Add
flavoring, pour batter in a small, narrow bread tin, previously
brushed with lard, over which flour had been dusted. The cake when
baked may be readily removed from the tin after it has cooled.
Bake cake in a very moderate oven about 60 minutes. After cake has
been in oven 15 or 20 minutes increase heat of oven. An extra fine,
large cake may be baked from this recipe if double the quantity of
ingredients are used.
DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE
2 cups brown sugar.
1/2 cup butter and lard, mixed.
2 eggs.
1/2 cup boiling water.
2 ounces Baker's chocolate.
2 cups flour.
1 teaspoonful soda.
1/2 cup sour cream or milk.
Cream butter and sugar and add yolks of eggs; then sour milk into
which the soda has been dissolved. Add hot water, then the eggs. Bake
in layers or loaf. Ice with boiled chocolate icing. If a little of the
sour milk is saved until last, the soda dissolved in that, and then
added to the cake batter, it will give a brick red appearance. This is
an excellent cake.
A CHEAP COCOANUT LAYER CAKE
Cream together 1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup butter, 1 egg (white of egg beaten
separately), add 3/4 cup milk, 2 cups flour sifted with 2 teaspoonfuls
baking powder. The stiffly beaten white of egg added last. Bake in two
layers. For the filling, to put between layers, beat the white of one
egg to a stiff, dry froth; add one tablespoonful of sugar, mix
together, spread between layers of cake and on top and over this strew
freshly grated cocoanut Grate cocoanut intended for cake the day
before using. After it has been grated toss up lightly with a fork and
stand in a cool place to dry out before using.
LADY BALTIMORE CAKE
1 cup butter.
2 cups sugar.
3-1/2 cups flour.
1 cup sweet milk.
Whites of 6 eggs.
2 level teaspoonfuls baking powder sifted with the flour.
1 teaspoonful rosewater.
Mix in the usual way and bake in three layers.
ICING FOR CAKE.
Dissolve 3 cups of sugar in a cup of boiling water. Cook until it
spins a thread, about ten or twelve minutes. Take from fire and pour
over three stiffly beaten whites of eggs, then add a cup of nut meats
(blanched and chopped almonds). One cup of chopped raisins may also be
added if liked. Stir until thick and creamy. Allow cake to get cold
before icing.
One-half this recipe for icing will be sufficient for an ordinary
cake.
AN INEXPENSIVE "WHITE FRUIT CAKE"
3 cups sugar.
3 eggs.
1 lb. seeded raisins.
1 cup milk.
1 cup butter.
1 lb. currants.
1 lb. chopped almonds.
Flavor with almond extract.
4 cups flour sifted with 2 teaspoonfuls of Royal baking powder.
1/2 lb. figs.
1/4 lb. citron.
Beat to a cream sugar, butter and yolks of eggs. Then add milk and
flour alternately and fruit and almonds. Lastly, add stiffly beaten
whites of eggs. Flour fruit before adding. Chop figs. Cut citron fine
or shave it thin. This is a cheaper recipe than the one for a
"Christmas fruit cake," but this is a very good cake.
A GOOD AND CHEAP "WHITE CAKE"
2 cups sugar.
1/2 cup butter and lard, mixed.
1 cup milk.
Add a few drops of almond flavoring.
3 cups flour.
2 teaspoonfuls baking powder.
Whites of five eggs.
Cream together the butter and sugar, add flour sifted with baking
powder alternately with the stiffly beaten whites of eggs. The five
yolks of eggs left from baking white cake may be used when making
salad dressing. Use five yolks instead of three whole eggs, as called
for in recipe for salad dressing.
CHOCOLATE ICING (VERY GOOD)
One-quarter cup grated, unsweetened chocolate, 1/4 cup milk, half a
cup sugar. Boil all together until thick and creamy. This quantity
will be sufficient to ice the top of one ordinary cake. Spread icing
on cake before icing cools. When this icing is used for layer cake,
double the recipe.
TIP-TOP CAKE
1 lb. granulated sugar.
1 cup butter.
1 cup milk.
4 eggs.
1 lb. chopped raisins. (Citron may be used instead of raisins.)
1/2 a nutmeg, grated.
5 scant cups of flour.
5 teaspoonfuls baking powder.
Mix together same as ordinary cake and bake in a loaf. This Aunt
Sarah considered one of her finest cake recipes. She had used it for
years in her family. The friend who gave this recipe to Aunt Sarah
said: "A couple of tablespoonfuls of brandy will improve the cake."
ORANGE CAKE
Grate the yellow outside rind of 1 orange into a bowl. Add 1-1/2 cups
sugar and 3/4 cups butter and beat to a cream. Then add yolks of 3
eggs. Then stir in 1 cup milk, 2-1/2 cups flour with 2 heaping
teaspoonfuls baking powder. Lastly, add the stiffly beaten whites of 3
eggs. Bake in three layers.
FILLING.
Use the white of one egg, the grated rind and juice of large orange
and enough pulverized sugar to stiffen. Spread between layers.
CHEAP SPONGE CAKE
1-1/4 cups granulated sugar.
4 eggs.
1-1/2 cups flour.
4 tablespoonfuls boiling water.
1-1/4 teaspoonfuls baking powder.
Pinch of salt; flavor to suit taste.
Cream yolks and sugar thoroughly, then add the stiffly beaten whites
of eggs, then flour, then boiling water. Bake in a tube pan about 40
minutes. This is a very easily made cake, which seldom fails and was
bought with a set of "Van Dusen cake pans," which Aunt Sarah said:
"She'd used for many years and found invaluable."
CARAMEL CAKE AND ICING
1-1/2 cups pulverized sugar, 1 cup of butter, 2 cups flour, 1/2 cup of
corn starch, 2 teaspoons of baking powder sifted through flour and
corn starch, 1 cup of milk, the whites of 4 eggs. Mix like ordinary
cake. Bake as a loaf cake. Ice top the following: 1 cup of light brown
sugar, 1/4 cup milk, 1/2 tablespoonful of butter, 1/4 teaspoonful of
vanilla. Cook all together until a soft ball is formed when dropped in
water. Beat until creamy and spread on top of cake.
A WHITE CAKE
Sift together, three times, the following:
1 cup of flour.
1 cup of sugar (granulated).
3 even teaspoonfuls of baking powder.
Scald one cup of milk and pour hot over the above mixture. Beat well.
Fold into the mixture, carefully, the stiffly beaten whites of 2 eggs.
Flavor with a few drops of almond extract. Bake in a _moderate oven_,
exactly as you would bake an angel cake.
This is a delicious, light, flaky cake, if directions are closely
followed, but a little difficult to get just right.
"DUTCH" CURRANT CAKE (NO YEAST USED)
4 eggs.
2 cups sugar.
1 cup butter.
1 cup milk.
1/2 teaspoonful baking soda.
1 teaspoonful cream of tartar.
1 teaspoonful cinnamon.
1/4 teaspoonful grated nutmeg.
1 cup dried currants.
4 to 4-1/2 cups flour.
Make about as stiff as ordinary cake mixture. The butter, sugar and
yolks of eggs were creamed together. Cinnamon and nutmeg were added.
Milk and flour added alternately, stirring flour in lightly; sift
cream of tartar in with the flour. Add the baking soda dissolved in a
very little water, then add the well-floured currants, and lastly add
the stiffly beaten whites of eggs. Bake in a large cake pan, generally
used for fruit cake or bake two medium-sized cakes. Bake slowly in a
moderately hot oven. These cakes keep well, as do most German cakes.
AN "OLD RECIPE" FOR COFFEE CAKE
5 cups flour.
1 cup sugar.
1 cup raisins.
1 cup of liquid coffee.
1 cup lard.
1 cup molasses.
1 tablespoonful saleratus.
Spices to taste.
Mix like any ordinary cake. This is a very old recipe of Aunt Sarah's
mother. The cup used may have been a little larger than the one
holding a half pint, used for measuring ingredients in all other cake
recipes.
A CHEAP BROWN SUGAR CAKE
1 cup brown sugar.
I tablespoonful lard.
1 cup cold water.
Pinch of salt.
2 cups raisins.
1/2 teaspoonful cloves.
1 teaspoonful cinnamon.
Boil all together three minutes, cool, then add 1 teaspoonful of soda
and 1/2 teaspoonful of baking powder sifted with 2 cups of flour.
FRAU SCHMIDT'S "GERMAN CHRISTMAS CAKE"
Cream together in a bowl half a pound of pulverized sugar and half a
pound of butter; then add yolks of five eggs, 1 grated lemon rind, 1
pint of milk, 1-1/2 pounds of flour sifted with 4 teaspoonfuls of
baking powder, 2 teaspoonfuls of vanilla extract. Bake at once in a
moderately hot oven. Mary baked an ordinary-sized cake by using
one-half of this recipe. The cake was fine grained, similar to a pound
cake, although not quite as rich, and she added a couple
tablespoonfuls of thinly shaved citron to the batter before baking.
This is a particularly fine cake.
"AUNT SARAH'S" SHELLBARK LAYER CAKE
1-1/2 cups sugar.
1/2 cup butter.
3/4 cup water.
3 eggs.
1-1/2 teaspoonfuls baking powder.
Flour to stiffen.
Save out white of one egg for icing. Bake cake in three layers. Chop
1 cup of hickory nut meats and add to the last layer of cake before
putting in pan to bake. Use the cake containing nut meats for the
middle layer of cake. Put layers together with white boiled icing.
IMPERIAL CAKE (BAKED FOR MARY'S WEDDING)
1 pound sugar.
1 pound butter.
3/4 pound flour.
1 pound raisins, seeded.
1 pound almonds.
1/2 pound thinly shaved citron.
1 lemon.
1 nutmeg.
12 eggs.
Mix ingredients as for pound cake. A fine cake, but expensive.
A LIGHT FRUIT CAKE (FOR CHRISTMAS)
1 pound butter, scant measure.
1 pound pulverized sugar.
1 pound flour (full pound).
10 eggs.
1 pound English walnut kernels.
1 pound raisins.
3/4 lb. citron, candied orange and lemon peel.
1 cup brandy.
1 teaspoonful baking powder.
Bake 2-1/2 to 3 hours. This is an excellent cake.
ENGLISH CAKE (SIMILAR TO A WHITE FRUIT CAKE)
5 eggs.
The weight of 5 eggs in sugar.
The weight of 4 eggs in flour.
1 cup raisins.
1 cup currants.
The weight of 3 eggs in butter.
1/2 teaspoonful baking powder.
2 tablespoonfuls of brandy.
1/2 cup finely shaved citron.
1/2 cup English walnut or shellbark meats.
Small quantity of candied orange and lemon peel.
This recipe was given Mary by an English friend, an excellent cook and
cake-baker, who vouches for its excellence.
GRANDMOTHER'S FRUIT CAKE (BAKED FOR MARY'S WEDDING)
1 pound butter.
1 pound sugar.
1 pound flour.
2 pounds raisins.
2 pounds currants.
Spices of all kinds.
1/4 pound thinly sliced citron.
8 eggs.
1 tablespoonful molasses.
1 cup sour milk.
1 teaspoonful soda.
Mix together in ordinary manner. Cream butter and sugar, add yolks of
eggs, sour milk and soda; add flour alternately with stiffly beaten
whites of eggs. Lastly, the well-floured fruit. Bake two hours in a
moderate oven. This quantity makes one very large cake, or two medium
sized ones, and will keep one year. Line inside of pan with
well-greased heavy paper to prevent bottom of cake baking too hard.
Aunt Sarah never cut this cake until one month from time it was baked,
as it improves with age and may be kept one year.
AN OLD RECIPE FOR POUND CAKE
Cream together 3/4 pound butter and 1 pound sugar and yolks of 10
eggs. Then add 10 whites of eggs well beaten alternately with 1 pound
of sifted flour.
Bake in a moderate oven with a steady heat. The bottom of pan should
be lined with well-greased paper.
"BUCKS COUNTY" MOLASSES CAKES (BAKED IN PASTRY)
Place in a bowl 1 cup of New Orleans molasses and 3/4 of a cup of
sweet milk. Add 1 teaspoonful of baking _soda_. (For this cake Aunt
Sarah was always particular to use the _Cow_-brand soda), dissolved in
a very little hot water. Aunt Sarah always used B.T. Babbitt's
saleratus for other purposes.
Stir all ingredients together well, then add gradually three even cups
of flour, no more, and beat hard. The cake mixture should not be very
thick. Pour into three medium-sized pie-tins lined with pastry and
bake in a moderately hot oven. These are good, cheap breakfast cakes,
neither eggs nor shortening being used.
BROD TORTE (BREAD TART)
Six yolks of eggs and 1 cup sugar, creamed together. Beat about 15
minutes. Add 1 teaspoonful allspice, 1 teaspoonful cloves, 1 cup
Baker's chocolate, which had been grated, melted and cooled; 1 cup
stale rye bread crumbs, crushed fine with rolling-pin. Lastly, add the
stiffly beaten whites of 6 eggs, a pinch of salt and 1/2 teaspoonful
of baking powder sifted over the batter. Put into a small cake pan and
bake half an hour in a moderate oven. When eggs are cheap and
plentiful this is an economical cake, as no flour is used. It is a
delicious cake and resembles an ordinary chocolate cake.
A DELICIOUS CHOCOLATE CAKE
1/2 cake of Baker's unsweetened chocolate (grated).
1 cup granulated sugar.
1/2 cup milk.
1 teaspoonful vanilla.
1/2 cup butter.
1-1/2 to 2 cups flour.
2 eggs.
2 teaspoonfuls baking powder.
Boil together chocolate, sugar and milk. Add butter and when cool add
yolk of eggs; then the flour, flavoring and stiffly beaten whites of 2
eggs. Beat all thoroughly and bake in a loaf or layers.
CHOCOLATE ICING
Boil together 5 tablespoonfuls grated chocolate, 3/4 cup granulated
sugar, 2 tablespoonfuls milk, 1 egg.
When the mixture begins to thicken and look creamy, spread on cake. If
baked in layers, ice on top and between the two layers.
A WHITE COCOANUT CAKE
Cream together 3/4 cup butter and 2 cups sugar. Add whites of 5 eggs,
1 cup milk, 1 teaspoonful cream of tartar, 1/2 teaspoonful soda sifted
with 3 cups flour and 1 grated cocoanut. Bake in a loaf. This is an
excellent old recipe of Aunt Sarah's.
A POTATO CAKE (NO YEAST REQUIRED)
Cream together:
1 cup of sugar.
1/2 cup lard and butter, mixed.
Yolk of 2 eggs.
1/2 cup pulverized cocoa.
1/2 cup of creamed mashed potatoes, cold.
A little ground cinnamon and grated nutmeg.
A few drops of essence of vanilla.
1/4 cup of sweet milk.
1/2 cup finely chopped nut meats.
One teaspoonful of baking powder sifted with one cup of flour added to
the batter alternately with the stiffly beaten whites of eggs. Bake in
two layers, in a moderately hot oven. Ice top and put layers together
with white icing. This is a delicious, if rather unusual cake.
A CITRON CAKE
1/2 cup butter.
1 cup sugar.
4 eggs.
2 tablespoonfuls water.
1/4 pound of thinly shaved citron.
1-1/2 cups flour.
1-1/4 teaspoonfuls baking powder.
Several drops of almond flavoring.
Bake in a loaf in a moderate oven about 45 minutes after mixing
ingredients together as for any ordinary cake. This is a very good
cake.
AUNT AMANDA'S SPICE "KUCHEN"
1 cup butter.
2 cups granulated sugar.
1 cup of a mixture of sour milk and cream.
4 eggs.
1 teaspoonful soda.
1/2 teaspoonful cloves.
1 teaspoonful cinnamon.
1/2 teaspoonful nutmeg.
1 teaspoonful vanilla extract.
2 tablespoonfuls cocoa.
3 cups flour.
Mix all like any ordinary cake. From one-half this recipe was baked an
ordinary sized loaf cake.
A GOOD, CHEAP CHOCOLATE CAKE
One cup of flour, 1 teaspoonful of baking powder and 1 cup of
granulated sugar were sifted together. Two eggs were broken into a
cup, also 1 large tablespoonful of melted butter. Fill up the cup with
sweet milk, beat all ingredients well together. Flavor with vanilla
and add 2 extra tablespoonfuls of flour to the mixture. Bake in two
layer cake pans.
Place the following mixture between the two layers: 1/2 cup of grated
chocolate, 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 cup of liquid coffee. Cook together a
short time until the consistency of thick cream, then spread between
layers.
AN ICE CREAM CAKE
Two cups of pulverized sugar, 1 cup of butter, 1 cup sweet milk,
whites of 8 eggs, 1 teaspoonful soda, 2 teaspoonfuls of cream of
tartar, 3 cups of flour. From same proportions of everything, only
using the 8 yolks instead of whites of eggs, may be made a yellow
cake, thus having two good sized layer cakes with alternate layers of
white and yellow. Put cakes together with white icing. This was an old
recipe of Aunt Sarah's mother, used when cream of tartar and soda took
the place of baking powder.
SMALL SPONGE CAKES
For these small cakes take 6 eggs, 1 cup of sugar and 3/4 cup of flour
and 1/2 teaspoonful of baking powder, a pinch of salt, flavor with
lemon. Beat yolks of eggs separately, then add sugar and beat to a
cream, then add the stiffly beaten whites of eggs alternately with the
sifted flour and baking powder; add a pinch of salt and flavoring.
Bake in small muffin tins in a very moderate oven.
SMALL CAKES AND COOKIES--"AUNT SARAH'S" LITTLE LEMON CAKES
2 cups granulated sugar.
3 eggs (not separated, but added one at a time to the sugar
and shortening which had been creamed together).
1 scant cup butter and lard, mixed.
2 teaspoonfuls baking powder.
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoonful sweet milk.
Grated rind of 2 lemons and juice of one.
Stiffen the dough with about 3-1/2 cups flour and use about 1 extra
cup of flour to dredge the bake-board when rolling out dough and for
sifting over the greased baking sheets so the cakes will come off
readily. Roll dough very thin and cut in any desired shape. From this
recipe may be made 100 small cakes. The baking sheet (for which I gave
measurements in bread recipe) holds 20 of these small round cakes. Do
all young housewives know that if dough for small cakes be mixed the
day before baking and stood in a cool place, the cakes can be cut out
more easily and the dough may be rolled thinner, and as less flour may
then be used, the cakes will be richer?
Aunt Sarah always cut these cakes with a small round or heart-shaped
cutter and when all were on the baking sheet she either placed a half
of an English walnut meat in the centre of each cake or cut out the
centre of each small cake with the top of a pepper box lid before
baking them.
OATMEAL CRISPS
2-1/2 cups rolled oats (oatmeal).
1 tablespoonful melted butter.
3/4 cup sugar.
1 teaspoonful baking powder.
2 large eggs.
Pinch of salt.
Beat eggs, add salt and sugar, mix baking powder with oats and stir
all together. Drop from a teaspoon on to flat pan or sheet iron, not
too close together, as they spread. Flatten very thin with a knife
dipped in cold water and bake in a moderate oven a light brown. These
cakes are fine and easily made. Did you not know differently, you
would imagine these cakes to be macaroons made from nuts, which they
greatly resemble.
AUNT SARAH'S GINGER SNAPS
1 cup molasses, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup of a mixture of lard and butter, 1
egg, 1 teaspoonful of ginger, 1 teaspoonful of cinnamon, 1/2 a grated
nutmeg, 1 teaspoonful of soda dissolved in 1 teaspoonful of vinegar.
About 3 cups of flour should be added.
Dough should be stiff enough to roll out very thin, and the cakes may
be rolled thinner than would be possible otherwise, should the
cake-dough stand aside over night, or on ice for several hours, until
thoroughly chilled. Cut cakes small with an ordinary cake cutter and
bake in a quick oven. These are excellent and will remain crisp some
time if kept in a warm, dry place.
GERMAN "LEBKUCHEN"
This is a recipe for good, old-fashioned "German Christmas cakes,"
from which Aunt Sarah's mother always baked. She used:
1 pound dark brown sugar.
3 whole eggs and yolks of 3 more.
1/4 pound citron finely shaved on a "slaw-cutter."
1/2 pound English walnut meats (chopped fine).
1 quart flour sifted with 2 teaspoonfuls of baking powder.
Mix well together. Do not roll thin like ginger snaps, but about a
half inch thick. Cut out about size of a large coffee cup. Bake in a
moderate oven and when cold ice the cakes with the following icing:
ICING FOR GERMAN LEBKUCHEN.
Boil 2 cups of sugar and 1/2 cup of water seven minutes. Pour over the
stiffly beaten whites of three eggs; ice the cakes. Place cakes in a
tin box when icing has become cold and these will keep quite a long
time. I have eaten high-priced, imported Lebkuchen no better than
those made from this recipe.
GRANDMOTHER'S MOLASSES CAKES
One quart of New Orleans molasses, 3 eggs, butter size of an egg.
Place all together in a stew-pan on range, allow it to come to boil,
stirring constantly, and when cool stir in one tablespoonful of
saleratus dissolved in a very little vinegar, and about 3 pounds of
flour. Do not have cake dough too stiff. Dough should stand until the
following day. Roll out at least 1/2 inch thick. Cut cakes as large
around as an ordinary coffee cup or cut with a knife into small,
oblong pieces, a little larger than half a common soda cracker. Bake
in a moderate oven. Should too much flour be used, cakes will be hard
and dry instead of soft and spongy. This very old and excellent recipe
had belonged to the grandmother of Sarah Landis. Cakes similar to the
ones baked from this recipe, also those baked from recipe for "honey
cakes," were sold in large sheets marked off in oblong sections,
seventy years ago, and at that time no "vendue," or public sale, in
certain localities throughout Bucks County, was thought complete
unless in sound of the auctioneer's voice, on a temporary stand, these
cakes were displayed on the day of "the sale," and were eagerly bought
by the crowd which attended such gatherings.
ANGEL CAKES (BAKED IN GEM PANS)
The whites of four eggs should be beaten very stiff and when partly
beaten sprinkle over 1/2 teaspoonful of cream of tartan Finish beating
egg whites and sift in slowly 1/2 cup of fine granulated sugar, then
sift 1/2 cup of flour (good measure). Flavor with a few drops of
almond flavoring. Bake in small Gem pans, placing a tablespoonful of
butter in each. Sift pulverized sugar over tops of cakes. Bake 20
minutes in a _very_ moderate oven. The recipe for these dainty little
cakes was given Mary by a friend who, knowing her liking for angel
cake, said these were similar in taste.
"ALMOND BROD"
Three-fourths cup sugar, 3 eggs, 2-1/2 tablespoonfuls olive oil 2 cups
flour, 1/2 teaspoonfuls baking powder, 1/2 cup sweet almonds, pinch
of salt. A couple of drops of almond extract.
In a bowl place 3/4 cup of granulated sugar. Add 3 well-beaten eggs, 2
cups of flour sifted with 1-1/2 teaspoonfuls of baking powder and a
pinch of salt. Mix all well together. Add 1 cup whole (blanched)
almonds and 2-1/2 tablespoonfuls of good olive oil.
Knead the dough thoroughly. Do not have dough too stiff. Divide the
dough into four equal parts, roll each portion of dough on a
_well-floured_ bake board into long, narrow rolls. Place the four
rolls on a baking sheet over which flour had been previously sifted.
Place the rolls a short distance apart and bake in a quick oven about
twenty minutes or until light brown on top. On removing the baking
sheet from the oven cut rolls at once, while the almonds are still
warm, into two-inch pieces. From this recipe was made thirty pieces of
almond bread. The olive oil, used as shortening, is not tasted when
baked. These are a very good little cake, and not bread, as their name
would lead one to suppose.
"GROSSMUTTER'S" HONEY CAKES
One quart of boiled honey (if possible procure the honey used by
bakers, as it is much cheaper and superior for this purpose than the
clear, strained honey sold for table use). Add to the warm honey two
generous tablespoonfuls of butter, yolks of four eggs, two ounces of
salaratus (baking soda), dissolved in a very small quantity of
vinegar, just enough to moisten the salaratus. Add just enough flour
to enable one to stir well with a spoon. Work the dough a half hour
and allow it to stand until the following day, when cut cakes from the
dough which had been rolled out on the bake-board one-half inch thick.
The dough should be only just stiff enough to roll out, as should the
dough be _too soft_ the cakes will become hard and crisp, instead of
light and spongy, and if too great a quantity of flour is added the
cakes will not be good. As the thickening qualities of flour differ,
the exact amount required cannot be given. When about to cut out
cakes, the bake-board should be well-floured. Cut the cakes the size
of the top of a large coffee-cup, or roll out in one-half inch thick
on a well-floured baking sheet and mark in small, oblong sections
with a knife, they may then be easily broken apart when baked. These
cakes should he baked in a moderately hot oven and not a _hot oven_.
These are the real, old-time honey cakes as made by Aunt Sarah's
grandmother on a "Bucks County" farm, and Mary's Aunt informed her she
still remembered in her earlier days having bought these cakes at
"Bucks County" sales or "vendues," as they were then designated.
LEMON WAFERS OR DROP CAKES
2 eggs.
1/2 pound butter.
1/2 pound sugar.
1/2 pound flour.
Pinch of salt.
Flavor with lemon essence.
Mix the same as other small cakes. Drop spoonfuls quite a distance
apart on the cold pan or tin on which they are to be baked as the
dough spreads. These are very thin, delicious wafers when baked.
FRAU SCHMIDT'S SUGAR COOKIES
1 cup lard and butter, mixed.
2 cups granulated sugar, and
2 eggs, all creamed together; then add
1 teaspoon soda (mix with a little sour milk).
Flavor with vanilla.
Beat all well together. Add flour enough that they may be rolled out,
no more. Flour bake-board well; cut dough with cake cutter into small
round cakes and bake in a rather quick oven. This recipe will make a
large number of cakes if dough be rolled thin as a wafer. Frau Schmidt
was able to keep these cakes some time--under lock and key. If cake
dough be mixed one day and allowed to stand over night, cakes may be
rolled out much more easily and cut thinner.
ALMOND MACAROONS (AS PREPARED BY MARY)
Three eggs (whites only), 3/4 pound of pulverized sugar, 1/2 pound of
almond paste (which may be bought ready prepared). Beat eggs very
stiff, add other ingredients. Drop teaspoonfuls on a baking sheet and
bake in a moderate oven 15 or 20 minutes. Macaroons prepared from this
recipe are delicious and resemble those sold by confectioners.
"HONIG KUCHEN" (HONEY CAKES)
Two pounds of flour, 1/2 pound of butter, 2/3 pound of almonds, 2
pounds of honey in liquid form, the grated yellow rind of one lemon,
1/2 teaspoonful of cloves, 1/2 teaspoonful of cinnamon, 1 ounce of
hartshorn, dissolved in a small quantity of water. Boil together honey
and butter, remove from fire, and when mixture has cooled add the
hartshorn, coarsely chopped almonds and flour. Allow this mixture to
stand several days, roll out 1/3 inch thick. Cut in small round cakes,
place a whole almond in centre of each cake. Bake a light brown in a
moderate oven.
FRAU SCHMIDT'S MOLASSES SNAPS
Two cups of New Orleans molasses, 1 cup of lard, 1 tablespoonful of
ginger, 1 teaspoonful of cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoonful of cloves, 1/2 a
grated nutmeg, 1 tablespoonful of saleratus dissolved in a small
quantity of hot water. Add enough flour to form a _very_ stiff dough.
Stand dough aside until the following day, when roll out very thin on
a well-floured bake-board. Cut with a small round cake cutter and bake
in a hot oven. These are good, cheap small cakes.
HICKORY NUT CAKES
One cup of hickory nut meals, 1 cup of pulverized sugar, 1 egg, a
pinch of salt, 2 teaspoons of flour. Mix all ingredients together.
Drop small pieces on a sheet-iron and bake.
"LEBKUCHEN" (AS THE PROFESSOR'S WIFE MADE THEM)
Two pounds of sugar, 8 large eggs, 3/4 pound of almonds (shelled), 1/4
pound of citron, 1/4 of a pound each of candied orange and lemon peel,
the grated yellow rind of one lemon, 4 teaspoonfuls of cinnamon, 1
teaspoonful allspice, about 2 pounds flour. Separate the eggs. Cream
the yolks of eggs and sugar well together. Then add the almonds (which
have been blanched by pouring boiling water over them, when the skins
may be readily removed), the citron and lemon peel chopped fine. Then
add 1 level teaspoonful of different spices. Then add the stiffly
beaten whites of eggs, alternately, with the sifted flour. The recipe
called for two pounds of flour, but "Frau" Schmidt said; "She was
never able to use the whole amount, so she added just enough flour to
prevent the mixture spreading when dropped on the baking sheet by
tablespoonfuls."
FRUIT JUMBLES
Two cups sugar, 3 eggs (beaten separately), 1 cup butter, 1 cup milk,
3-1/2 cups flour, 3 teaspoonfuls baking powder, 1/4 of nutmeg, grated,
1 cup currants. Mix all together and bake in a broad, shallow pan.
This is similar to Spanish Bun. When cake is cooled, but not cold, cut
in two-inch squares or diamonds before removing from the pan in which
the cake was baked.
BROWN "PFEFFERNUSSEN"
For these German cakes Frau Schmidt used the following: 3 pounds of
flour, 2 pounds of sugar syrup, 1/8 teaspoonful of black pepper, 1/4
pound of lard, 1/4 teaspoon of cardamom powder, 1/4 pound of butter,
1/2 teaspoonful of cloves, 1/2 pound of brown sugar and 2 eggs.
Use as much "Hirschhorn Salz" as can be placed on the point of a knife
("Hirschhorn Salz" translated is carbonate of ammonia and is used for
baking purposes). Allow the syrup to heat on the range. Skim off the
top. When syrup has cooled mix all ingredients together and stand
aside for one week or longer, when form the dough into small balls
size of a hickory nut. Place on greased pans and bake half hour in a
slow oven.
SMALL OATMEAL CAKES
Cream together 1-1/2 cups of light brown sugar, 1/2 cup of lard and
butter, mixed, and the yolk of one egg. Add 1/2 cup of hot water and
3/4 teaspoonful of saleratus (baking soda) dissolved in a little
boiling water; add 2-1/2 cups of oatmeal the stiffly beaten white of
egg and 2-1/2 cups of white flour. Mix all together. Dredge the bake
board with flour, roll thin. Cut out with a small round cake cutter.
Sift a little flour over the well-greased baking sheets, on which
place cakes and bake in a moderately hot oven.
FRAU SCHMIDT'S RECIPE FOR "GERMAN" ALMOND SLICES
1/2 pound sugar, 1/2 pound butter.
1/2 pound of seeded raisins (chopped).
1/2 pound blanched and chopped almonds.
1 teaspoonful cinnamon, 1 teaspoonful of allspice.
Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon.
2 cakes German sweet chocolate, grated.
3 whole eggs and 2 extra whites of eggs.
2 teaspoons baking powder, 3 cups flour.
1 tablespoon vanilla, 2 tablespoons of brandy.
Cream butter and sugar, add eggs, one at a time. Then add all the
ingredients. Mix with flour. Flour bake board and take a handful of
dough and roll with the hands in shape of a sausage roll. This
quantity of dough makes eight rolls. Place on greased baking sheets a
short distance apart, so they will not touch when being baked. Bake
them in a _warm_, not hot, oven. Take from the oven when baked and cut
while still warm into small slices across the roll. Slices should be
about three-quarters of an inch wide. Cover the three sides with the
following icing:
Beat together until smooth and creamy 1 cupful of sweet cream, adding
enough confectioners' sugar to make it spread.
You may expedite the work by preparing raisins and almonds the day
before.
The Professor's wife always served these almond cakes with coffee when
she gave a "kaffee klatch" to her country friends.
"JULY ANN'S" GINGER SNAPS
Two cups of molasses (New Orleans), 1 cup of light brown sugar, 1 egg,
1 tablespoonful of soda, 2 tablespoonfuls of vinegar, 1 tablespoonful
of ginger and about 5-1/2 cups of flour.
Place molasses and sugar in a sauce-pan on the range, cook together
until sugar is dissolved, no longer.
Mix the soda and vinegar and when foamy add to the sugar and molasses
with a portion of the required amount of flour; then add the egg and
the flour remaining. Turn dough out on a well-floured bake-board, roll
out into a thin sheet and cut out small cakes with a tin cutter. Bake
in a moderately hot oven.
No shortening of any kind was used in these cakes. One hundred cakes
were baked from the above ingredients.
COCOANUT COOKIES
Three cups of sugar, 1 cup of butter, 2 eggs, 1 cup of sweet milk, 1
cup of grated cocoanut, 2 teaspoonfuls of baking powder. Mix all
together, sift flour with baking powder, add flour to form a dough
just stiff enough to roll out, no more. Cut with a small tin cake
cutter into round cakes and bake.
CHOCOLATE COOKIES
Two cups of white sugar, 1 cup of grated, unsweetened chocolate, 2
eggs, 1/2 cup of butter, 2 teaspoonfuls of baking powder. Flavor with
vanilla. Mix together sugar, butter and eggs, add melted chocolate and
flour to stiffen, just enough flour being used to allow of their being
cut with a cake cutter. The baking powder should have been sifted with
a small amount of flour before adding.
SMALL "BELSNICKEL" CHRISTMAS CAKES
2 cups "A" sugar.
Pinch of salt.
1 cup melted butter.
1 teaspoonful baking soda.
4 eggs.
About 3 cups of flour.
Mix in just enough flour so the cake dough may be rolled out quite
thin on a floured board, using as little flour as possible. Cut out
small cakes and bake lightly in a moderately hot oven.
The butter, when melted, should fill one cup; pour it over the two
cups of sugar in a bowl and beat until smooth and creamy; add the
eggs, beating one at a time into the mixture. Sift the teaspoonful of
baking soda several times through the flour before adding to the cake
mixture. Stand this dough in a cold place one hour at least before
cutting out cakes. No flavoring is used. Sift granulated sugar thickly
over cakes before placing them in oven to bake.
From these ingredients were made over one hundred cakes. One-half this
recipe might be used for a small family. The cakes keep well in a dry,
cool place.
This old recipe of Aunt Sarah's mother derived its name "Belsnickel"
from the fact that the Belsnickels, who invariably visited the houses
of "Bucks County" farmers on Christmas Eve, were always treated to
some of these delicious little Christmas cakes.
"PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH" KISSES
One cup of pulverized sugar, whites of 3 eggs, 1 heaping cup of nut
meats (Mary used hickory nut meats), a pinch of salt. To the very
stiffly beaten whites of eggs add sugar, salt and lastly the nut
meats. Drop teaspoonfuls of this batter on a greased, floured baking
tin. Bake in a moderate oven.
LITTLE CRUMB CAKES
For these small cakes Aunt Sarah creamed together 1/2 cup of
granulated sugar, 1/4 cup butter. One quite large egg was used. The
egg yolk was added to the creamed sugar and butter and thoroughly
beaten, then scant 1/2 cup of milk was added, and one heaping cup of
fine dried bread crumbs sifted with 3/4 teaspoonful of baking powder
and 1/4 cup of finely chopped or rolled _black_ walnut meats. Lastly,
add the stiffly beaten white of egg. Flavor with grated nutmeg. Bake
in small muffin pans in a moderate oven. This makes nine small cakes.
No flour is used in these cakes, but, instead of flour, bread crumbs
are used.
DELICIOUS VANILLA WAFERS (AS MARY MADE THEM)
1/4 pound of butter.
1/4 pound of flour.
1/4 pound of sugar.
2 eggs.
Cream together butter and sugar, add yolks of eggs, beat well, then
add stiffly beaten whites of eggs and flour alternately.
Flavor with essence of vanilla, drop from spoon on to _cold_ iron pan,
not too close together, as the cakes will spread. Bake quickly in a
hot oven until outer edge of cakes have browned.
MACAROONS (AS AUNT SARAH MADE THEM)
One-half pound of almonds, blanched and chopped fine, 1/2 pound of
pulverized sugar, whites of 4 eggs. Place sugar and almonds in a pan
on the range, until colored a light yellow-brown. Beat whites of eggs
very stiff, mix all ingredients together, then drop with a spoon on
tins waxed with bees' wax, and bake in a quick oven.
"SPRINGERLES" (GERMAN CHRISTMAS CAKES)
4 eggs.
1 pound sifted pulverized sugar
2 quarts flour, sifted twice.
2 small teaspoonfuls baking powder.
Beat whites and yolks of eggs separately, mix with sugar and beat
well. Add flour until you have a smooth dough. Roll out pieces of
dough, which should be half an inch thick. Press the dough on a
floured form or mold, lift the mold, cut out the cakes thus designed
and let lie until next day on a floured bread board. The next day
grease pans well, sprinkle anise seed over the pans in which the cakes
are to be baked; lay in cakes an inch apart and bake in a moderate
oven to a straw color. The form used usually makes six impressions or
cakes 1-1/2 inches square, leaving the impression of a small figure or
flower on surface when dough is pressed on form.
OATMEAL COOKIES
1 cup sugar.
1 cup butter and lard, mixed (scant measure).
1 cup chopped nut meats.
1 cup chopped raisins.
2 eggs, beaten separately, whites added last.
1 teaspoonful baking soda dissolved in 4 tablespoonfuls sour milk.
1 teaspoonful vanilla.
Little grated nutmeg.
2 cups oatmeal (uncooked).
2 cups white flour.
Drop with tablespoon on well-greased baking sheet over which has been
sifted a little flour. Bake in rather quick oven. This recipe makes 65
small cakes.
PEANUT BISCUITS
Sift together 2 cups flour and 3 teaspoonfuls baking powder. Add 1
egg, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup peanuts and pecan nut meats, mixed (run
through food-chopper), 1/2 cup sweet milk, 1/2 teaspoonful salt. Beat
sugar and yolk of egg together add milk, stiffly beaten white of egg,
chopped nut meats and flour, alternately. Add salt. Place a large
spoonful in each of 12 well-greased Gem pans. Allow to stand in pans
about 25 minutes. Bake half an hour.
PLAIN COOKIES
1/2 cup butter.
4 tablespoonfuls milk.
1 cup sugar.
1/2 teaspoonful grated nutmeg.
2 eggs.
1/2 cup chopped walnut meats.
3 cups flour.
3 teaspoonfuls baking powder.
Cream butter and sugar, add milk slowly, add well-beaten eggs. Beat
well, add flour and baking powder, sifted together. Roll thin. Cut
with a small cake cutter any desired.
WALNUT ROCKS
Cream together 1-1/2 cups of sugar, 1/2 cup of butter, a small
teaspoonful of salt. Dissolve 1 teaspoonful of soda in 4
tablespoonfuls of warm water, two eggs. Sift 3 cups of flour, add 1
teaspoonful of ginger, 1 teaspoonful of cloves, 1/2 teaspoonful of
grated nutmeg, 1 pound of English walnuts, 1 pound of seeded raisins.
Drop by teaspoon on a cold sheet iron and bake in a moderate oven.
These are excellent.
CINNAMON WAFERS (AS MADE BY AUNT SARAH)
10 eggs
3/4 pound sugar.
3/4 pound butter.
1 pound flour.
Mix like ordinary cake. Divide this into three parts. Flavor one part
with vanilla, 1 with chocolate and the other with cinnamon. These
latter will be darker than the first. Place a piece of dough as large
as a small marble in a small hot, well-greased waffle or wafer iron.
Press two sides of iron together, which flattens out cake, and hold by
a long handle over fire, turning it over occasionally until cakes are
baked. The cake, when baked, is a delicious, thin, rich wafer, about
the size of half a common soda cracker. I have never eaten these
Christmas cakes at any place excepting at Aunt Sarah's. The wafer iron
she possessed was brought by her Grandmother from Germany. The waffle
or wafer irons might be obtained in this country.
ZIMMET WAFFLES (AS MADE BY FRAU SCHMIDT)
1/2 pound butter.
1/2 ounce cinnamon.
1/2 pound sugar.
3 eggs.
Flour.
Work together and form into small balls. Place in hot buttered wafer
irons, hold over fire and bake. This is an old German recipe which
Frau Schmidt's grandmother used.
"BRAUNE LEBKUCHEN"
2 pounds sugar syrup.
1/4 pound granulated sugar.
1/4 pound butter.
1/4 pound coarsely chopped almonds.
Grate yellow part of one lemon rind.
1/4 ounce cinnamon.
1/4 ounce cloves.
1 drachm of powdered cardamom.
1 ounce of hartshorn, dissolved in a little milk.
Place syrup in stew-pan on range to heat, add butter, almonds, spices,
etc.
Remove from range, stir in flour gradually. Use about 10 cups of
flour. When cool add the dissolved hartshorn. Allow the cake dough to
stand in a warm place eight to ten days before baking.
Then place a portion of the cake dough on a greased baking sheet which
has been sprinkled lightly with flour, roll cake dough out on the
sheet about 1/3 inch in thickness; place in a _very moderate_ oven.
When well dried out and nicely browned on top cut the sheets into
small squares, the size of ordinary soda crackers.
This is a very old recipe given Mary by Frau Schmidt.
PEANUT COOKIES
One pint of roasted peanuts, measured, after being shelled. Rub off
the brown skin, run through a food-chopper. Cream together 2
tablespoonfuls of butter, 1 cup of sugar. Add 3 eggs, 2 tablespoonfuls
of milk, 1/4 teaspoonful of salt and the chopped peanuts. Add flour to
make a soft dough. Roll out on a floured board, cut with a small cake
cutter and bake in a moderate oven. This recipe was given Mary by a
friend living in Allentown.
PIES--FLAKY PIE CRUST
Have all the materials cold when making pastry. Handle as little as
possible. Place in a bowl 3-1/2 cups flour, 3/4 teaspoonful salt and 1
cup good, sweet lard. Cut through with a knife into quite small pieces
and mix into a dough with a little less than a half cup of cold water.
Use only enough water to make dough hold together. This should be done
with a knife or tips of the fingers. The water should be poured on the
flour and lard carefully, a small quantity at a time, and never twice
at the same place. Be careful that the dough is not too moist. Press
the dough with the hands into a lump, but do not knead. Take enough of
the dough for one pie on the bake board, roll lightly, always in one
direction, line greased pie tins and fill crust. If fruit pies,
moisten the edge of the lower crust, cover with top crust, which has
been rolled quite thin. A knife scraped across the top crust several
times before placing over pie causes the crust to have a rough, flaky,
rich-looking surface when baked. Cut small vents in top crust to allow
steam to escape. Pinch the edges of fruit pies well together to
prevent syrup oozing out. If you wish light, flaky pie crust, bake in
a hot oven. If a sheet of paper placed in oven turns a delicate brown,
then the oven is right for pies. The best of pastry will be a failure
if dried slowly in a cool oven.
When baking a crust for a tart to be filled after crust has been
baked, always prick the crust with a fork before putting in oven to
bake. This prevents the crust forming little blisters.
Aunt Sarah always used for her pies four even cups of flour, 1/4
teaspoonful baking powder and one even cup of sweet, _rich, home-made
lard_, a pinch of salt with just enough cold water to form a dough,
and said her pies were rich enough for any one. They certainly were
rich and flaky, without being greasy, and she said, less shortening
was necessary when baking powder was used. To cause her pies to have a
golden brown color she brushed tops of pies with a mixture of egg and
milk or milk and placed immediately in a hot oven.
Mary noticed her Aunt frequently put small dabs of lard or butter on
the dough used for top crust of pies before rolling crust the desired
size when she wished them particularly rich.
Aunt Sarah always used pastry flour for cake and pie. A smooth flour
which showed the impression of the fingers when held tightly in the
hand (the more expensive "bread flour") feels like fine sand or
granulated sugar, and is a stronger flour and considered better for
bread or raised cakes in which yeast is used, better results being
obtained by its use alone or combined with a cheaper flour when baking
bread.
AUNT SARAH'S LEMON PIE
This is a good, old-fashioned recipe for lemon pie, baked with two
crusts, and not expensive. Grate the yellow outside rind from one
lemon, use juice and pulp, but not the white part of rind; mix with 2
small cups of sugar, then add 1 cup of water and 1 cup of milk, and 1
large tablespoonful of corn starch, moistened with a little of the one
cup of water. The yolks of 2 eggs were added. Mix all ingredients and
add the stiffly beaten whites of eggs. This quantity will fill three
small pastry crusts. The mixture will measure nearly one quart. Pour
into the three crusts, moisten edges of pies, place top crusts on each
pie. Pinch edges of crust together and bake in hot oven.
THE PROFESSOR'S WIFE'S SUPERIOR PASTRY
For superior pastry use 1-1/2 cups flour, 1 cup lard, 1/2 teaspoonful
salt and about 1/4 cup of cold water, or three scant tablespoonfuls.
Put 1 cup of flour on the bake board, sprinkle salt over, chop 1/4 cup
of sweet lard through the flour with a knife, until the pieces are
about the size of a cherry. Moisten with about 1/4 cup of ice cold
water. Cut through the flour and lard with a knife, moistening a
little of the mixture at a time, until you have a soft dough, easily
handled. Roll out lightly the size of a tea plate. Take 1/3 of the
lard remaining, put small dabs at different places on the dough (do
not spread the lard over), then sprinkle over 1/3 of the remaining
half cup of flour and roll the dough into a long, narrow roll, folding
the opposite ends in the centre of the roll. Roll out lightly (one
way), then add lard and flour; roll and repeat the process until flour
and lard have all been used. The pastry may be set aside in a cold
place a short time before using. If particularly fine pastry is
required, the dough might be rolled out once more, using small dabs of
butter instead of lard, same quantity as was used of lard for one
layer, then dredged thickly with flour and rolled over and over, and
then ends folded together, when it should be ready to use. When wanted
to line pie-tins, cut pieces off one end of the roll of dough and roll
out lightly. The layers should show plainly when cut, and the pastry
should puff nicely in baking, and be very rich, crisp and flaky. When
preparing crusts for custards, lemon meringues and pies having only
one crust, cut narrow strips of pastry about half an inch wide, place
around the upper edge or rim of crust and press the lower edge of the
strip against the crust; make small cuts with a knife about 1/3 inch
apart, all around the edge of this extra crust, to cause it to look
flaky when baked. This makes a rich pie crust.
A very good crust may be made by taking the same proportions as used
for superior pastry, placing 1-1/2 to 2 cups flour on the bake board,
add salt, cut 1/2 cup lard through the flour, moistening with water.
Roll out crust and line pie-tins or small patty pans for tarts. This
pastry is not quite as fine and smooth as the other, but requires less
time and trouble to make.
The Professor's wife taught Mary to make this pastry, but Mary never
could learn from her the knack of making a dainty, crimped,
rolled-over edge to her pies, which she made easily with a deft twist
of her thumb and forefinger.
MARY'S LEMON MERINGUE (MADE WITH MILK)
Line two large pie-tins with pie crust, prick with a fork before
placing crusts in oven to bake. When baked stand aside to cool while
you prepare the following filling: The juice and grated rind of 1
lemon, 1 pint sweet milk, 1 cup sugar, yolks of three eggs, 3
tablespoonfuls flour, butter size of a walnut. Cream together sugar,
flour, yolks of eggs, then add lemon, mix well then add to the scalded
milk on the range and cook until thick. Let cool, but do not allow to
become quite cold, spread on the two crusts, which have been baked.
When quite cold add 3 tablespoonfuls of sugar to the stiffly beaten
whites of the three eggs, spread on top of pies, sift 1 tablespoonful
pulverized sugar on top of meringue and set in a quick oven until fawn
color. Serve cold.
When mixing pie dough, should you have mixed more than needed at one
time, line _agate_ pie-tins with crust (never stand away in tin). They
may be kept several days in a cool place and used later for crumb
cakes or custards. Or a crust might be baked and used later for lemon
meringues, etc.
APPLE TART
Line pie-tins with rich pie crust, sift over each 1 tablespoonful
flour and 2 tablespoonfuls sugar. Place on the crust enough good, tart
baking apples, which have been pared, cored, halved and placed (flat
surface down) on the crust. Put bits of butter over the top and
between the apples, about 1 large tablespoonful altogether, and
sprinkle about 2 tablespoonfuls of sugar over, add about 1
tablespoonful of cold water when pies are ready to place in oven.
These pies should be baked in a very hot oven. When apples are soft
take pies from oven and serve one pie, hot; stand the other one aside
until quite cold.
To the stiffly beaten white of one egg add one tablespoonful sugar.
Stir together and place a spoonful on the top of each half of apple
and place in oven until meringue has browned and serve pie cold. Peach
tarts may be made in a similar manner, omitting the meringue and
substituting peaches for apples.
RAISIN OR "ROSINA" PIE
"Rosina" pie, as Aunt Sarah called it, was composed of 1 lemon, 1 egg,
1 cup sugar, 1 tablespoonful flour, 1 cup large, blue, seeded
raisins. Cover the raisins with one cup of cold water; let soak two
hours. Cream egg and sugar together, add juice and grated rind of one
quite small lemon, or half a large one. Mix the tablespoonful of flour
smooth with a little cold water, add to the mixture, then add raisins
and to the water in which they were soaked add enough water to fill
the cup and cook until the mixture thickens. When cool fill pie-tins
with the mixture, bake with upper and under crust about 20 minutes in
hot oven. Aunt Sarah used a _generous_ tablespoonful of flour for this
pie.
"SNITZ" PIE
Cover a bowlful of well-washed dried apples with cold water and allow
to soak over night. The following morning cook until tender and mash
through a colander. If quite thick a small quantity of water should be
added. Season with sugar to taste. Some apples require more sugar than
others. Add cinnamon, if liked. Aunt Sarah never used any spices in
these pies. Bake with two crusts or place strips cross-wise over the
pie of thinly rolled dough, like lattice work. These are typical
"Bucks County" pies.
MARY'S RECIPE FOR PLAIN PUMPKIN PIE
Line a pie-tin, one holding 3 cups of liquid, with rich pastry. For
the filling for pie mix together the following: 1 cup of steamed
pumpkin, which had been mashed through a colander, 1 egg, beaten
separately, 1 tablespoonful of flour, 2-1/2 tablespoonfuls of sugar,
1/8 teaspoonful of salt, 1/2 teaspoonful of grated nutmeg, same of
ginger, 1-1/2 cups of milk (scant measure). The mixture should measure
exactly 3 cups, after adding milk. Pour this mixture into the
pastry-lined pie-tin and bake in a moderate oven until top of pie is a
rich brown.
CHOCOLATE PIE
Melt one square of Baker's unsweetened chocolate, or 1/4 cup of
powdered cocoa, mix with this 1/2 cup of granulated sugar and 1/4 cup
of corn starch. When well mixed add yolks of 3 eggs, a pinch of salt,
2 cups of milk; cook all together in a double boiler until thickened.
When cool flavor with vanilla. Fill pastry-lined pie crust with the
mixture. Beat the 3 whites of eggs to a froth, mix with a couple
tablespoonfuls of pulverized sugar, spread on top of pie, stand in
oven until light brown.
"PEBBLE DASH" OR SHOO-FLY PIE
Aunt Sarah made these to perfection and called them "Pebble Dash" pie.
They are not really pies, they resemble cakes, but having a crust we
will class them with pies. She lined three small sized pie-tins with
rich pie crust. For the crumbs she placed in a bowl 3 cups of flour, 1
cup brown sugar and 3/4 cup of butter and lard, mixed and rubbed all
together with the hands, not smooth, but in small rivels. For the
liquid part she used 1 cup baking molasses, 1 cup hot water, 1
teaspoonful baking soda dissolved in a few drops of vinegar and
stirred this into the molasses and water. She divided the liquid among
the three pans, putting one-third in each crust, over which she
sprinkled the crumbs. Bake one-half hour in a moderate oven. These
have the appearance of molasses cakes when baked.
VANILLA CRUMB "CRUSTS"
Cook together a short time 1/2 cup molasses, 1 egg, 1 tablespoonful
flour, 1 cup sugar, 2 cups cold water. Moisten the flour with a little
cold water before adding to the other ingredients. When cooled add 1
teaspoonful of vanilla. Pour this mixture in the bottom of each of
four common sized pie-tins, lined with pastry, and sprinkle over the
following crumbs:
THE CRUMBS (FOR VANILLA CRUMB CRUSTS).
Two cups flour, 1/2 cup butter and lard, mixed, 1/2 teaspoonful soda
and 1 cup sugar, rubbed together with the hands to form crumbs.
Scatter these crumbs over the four pies.
These are not thick pies, but simply what the recipe calls
them--vanilla "crusts."
"KASHA KUCHEN" OR CHERRY CAKE
Aunt Sarah sometimes filled the bottom crusts of two small pies
(either cheese pie or plain custard) with a layer of fresh cherries
and poured the custard over the top of the cherries and baked same as
a plain custard pie.
Aunt Sarah might be called extravagant by some, but she always made
egg desserts when eggs were cheap and plentiful, in the Spring. In
Winter she baked pies and puddings in which a fewer number of eggs
were used and substituted canned and dried fruits for fresh ones. In
summer she used fresh fruit when in season, ice cream and sherbets.
She never indulged in high-priced, unseasonable fruits--thought it an
extravagance for one to do so, and taught Mary "a wise expenditure in
time means wealth."
For banana custard pie she substituted sliced banana for cherries on
top of pie.
"RIVEL KUCHEN"
Place in a bowl 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar (good measure), 1/2 cup
butter and lard, or all butter is better (scant measure). Some like a
little grating of nutmeg, especially if part lard is used. Mix or
crumb the ingredients well together with the hands to form small
lumps, or rivels. Line pie-tins with a rich pastry crust and strew the
rivels thickly over and bake in a quick oven. A couple tablespoons of
molasses spread over the crumbs is liked by some. This is a favorite
pie or cake of many Pennsylvania Germans.
AUNT SARAH'S LEMON MERINGUE
Two cups of water, 1-1/2 cups of sugar, 2 rounding tablespoonfuls of
corn starch, 4 eggs, 1 tablespoonful of butter, 2 small lemons. Mix
the water, sugar and corn starch dissolved in a little cold water,
pour in sauce-pan, place on range and stir mixture until thickened.
Beat separately the yolks of 4 eggs and the whites of 2, then add both
to the above mixture. Remove from the fire, add the juice of two small
lemons and grated rind of one; add butter. Fill two previously baked
pastry shells with the cooled mixture. Beat the remaining whites of
egg (another white of an egg added improves the appearance of the
pie.) Add one tablespoonful of pulverized sugar to each egg used;
place the stiffly beaten whites of egg rockily over tops of pies stand
in oven until a delicate shade of brown. This is a delicious pie.
A COUNTRY BATTER PIE
Line two medium-sized pie-tins with pastry crust in which pour the
following mixture, composed of 1/2 cup of granulated sugar and one
egg, creamed together; then add 1/2 cup of cold water and the grated
yellow rind and juice of one lemon.
For the top of pies: Cream together 1 cup of sugar, 1/4 cup of lard
and 1 egg, then add 1/2 cup of sour milk alternately with 1-1/2 cups
of flour, sifted with 1/2 teaspoonful of baking soda and 1/2
teaspoonful of cream of tartar. Place 1/2 of this mixture on top of
each pie. Bake in oven.
PUMPKIN PIE (AUNT SARAH'S RECIPE)
The best pumpkin for pie is of a deep orange yellow with a rough,
warty surface. Remove the soft, spongy pulp and seeds of the pumpkin,
pare and cut into small pieces. Steam until tender. Put in a colander
to drain, then mash through colander with wooden potato masher. For
one deep pie allow one pint of the stewed pumpkin, beat in 2 eggs, one
at a time, 1/2 teaspoonful salt, 1 teaspoonful ginger, 1/2 teaspoonful
grated nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoonful cinnamon, 2/3 cup sugar, 1 scant pint
milk. Beat all together. This mixture should barely fill a quart
measure. Pour in a deep pie-tin lined with rich crust, grate nutmeg
over the top of pie and bake from 45 to 50 minutes in a moderate oven.
Have the oven rather hot when the pie is first put in to bake and then
reduce the heat, else the filling in the pie will boil and become
watery. If liked, two tablespoonfuls of brandy may be added to the
mixture before filling the crust. In that case, use two tablespoonfuls
less of milk.
WHITE POTATO CUSTARD (AUNT SARAH'S RECIPE)
Boil one medium-sized potato, mash fine, add 1 large tablespoonful of
butter and a generous 1/2 cup sugar. Beat to a cream. When the mixture
has cooled add yolks of 2 eggs, 1/2 cup sweet milk and grated rind and
juice of half a lemon. Lastly, stir in the stiffly beaten whites of
the two eggs. Bake in a medium-sized pie-tin with one crust in a
moderately hot oven about 25 minutes, until a rich brown on top. This
is a delicious pie and would puzzle a "Bucks County lawyer" to tell of
what it is composed.
"RHUBARB CUSTARD" PIE
Two cups of rhubarb, uncooked, do not skin it, cut in half-inch
pieces. Cream together 1 cup of sugar, 1 tablespoonful of cornstarch,
2 eggs (reserve white of one egg). Add the 2 cups of rhubarb to this
mixture and place all in a pie-tin lined with pastry. Place in oven
and bake until rhubarb is tender. Remove from oven and when pie has
cooled spread over it the stiffly beaten white of the egg, to which
had been added one tablespoonful of sugar. Place pie in oven and brown
a light fawn color.
"LEMON APPLE" PIE
Grate the yellow rind from a lemon (discard the white part of rind),
grate the remainder of the lemon, also pare and grate 1 apple. Add
1-1/2 cups of sugar, then add 2 well-beaten eggs. Pour this mixture
into 1 large pie-tin lined with rich pastry; place on a top crust,
pinch edges, moistened with water, together; bake in an oven with a
steady heat. When pie has baked sift pulverized sugar thickly over top
and serve cold. From these materials was baked a fair sized pie.
GREEN CURRANT PIE
Line a pie-tin with rich pastry; place oil this crust 2 tablespoonfuls
of flour and 2 tablespoonfuls of sugar; then add 2 cups of
well-washed and stemmed green currants, previously mixed with 1
tablespoonful of cornstarch, moistened with a small quantity of cold
water. Add 1 cup of sugar (from which had been taken the 2
tablespoonfuls placed on crust;) add 2 tablespoonfuls of water; cover
with a top crust, cut small vents in crust, bake in a moderate oven.
When crust loosens from side of pan the pie should be sufficiently
baked.